Fermentation Chamber

[Aerobrew]

I am hoping to get advice on a fermentation chamber. I have done a handful of brews which turn out well and looking to move my skills and equipment up to the next level. I want to make a fermentation chamber but I am wondering how important it is. Right now my fermentation temps are 65-70 degrees. That will increase in the summer but was wondering if there would be a benefit or if I have time to shop around and be ready for next summer. If it will make a big difference I do want to do it sooner rather than later. Thank you for your help.

 

[h22lude]

Depends on where you live. If you live anywhere that actually has a winter then you can shop around. If your in the hot winter areas then you may want to start looking. If your beer temp was 65 to 70 then you are ok. If your room temp was 65 to 70 then you may be a bit high. Even if you can keep your beer under 70 now, a chamber will allow you to keep the beer at the exact degree you want during fermentation (give or take a degree).

 

[BigFloyd]

Simple. Fridge or freezer (shop used ones on Craigslist if you don't already have one) plus an STC-1000 controller outlet box.

STC-1000 is a dual temperature controller. You wire it into a standard 2-plug outlet that you mount in some kind of project box (either homemade or bought at Radio Shack). One (cool) outlet is for the freezer/fridge. If your fermenter chamber is placed where it’s cold (like a garage in winter), you plug some kind of small heater into the warm outlet and then put that heater inside the freezer. Otherwise, just use the cold outlet.

Set the target temp (in Celsius) on the STC-1000. Set the tolerance (default is +/-0.5*C). When the temp (as read by the sensor) climbs 0.5*C above the target, it powers up the cool outlet and keeps it energized until the temp drops to the target and then turns it off. Likewise with the warm outlet if it gets 0.5*C too cool. You tape the sensor on the side of the fermenter and place some kind of insulation like bubble wrap over top of it so that it reads the bucket temp and not the air.

http://www.amazon.com/All-purpose-Temperature-Controller-STC-1000-sensor/dp/B00862G3TQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382149071&sr=8-1&keywords=stc-1000

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/stc-1000-setup-beginners-433985/#post5538096

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ebay-fish-tank-controller-build-using-wal-mart-parts-261506/


https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ebay-aquarium-temp-controller-build-163849/



http://brewstands.com/fermentation-heater.html

 

[grafvonbarnez]

If you're a little handy and live in a cooler region, or have access to an area of your house that stays pretty cool year-round, you could try building a Son of Fermentation Chiller http://home.roadrunner.com/~brewbeer/chiller/chiller.PDF

I live in New England so my basement stays under 80 pretty much year round, and it can easily gets my carboys down to even lager fermentation temps. Swapping the ice jugs can be a bit of a pain but the whole thing cost me less than 50 bucks.

 

[E_Marquez]

I've built my second fermentation chamber in about 4 months now.. out grew the first one already..

With that said ..... go as large as you can so you have room to spare.. Im going to sell the one I just built as soon as i find a larger freezer.. I can fit three 6.5 buckets or carboys now, but want to fit four or more.

Is it needed? unless you have a very stable place to ferment ( a cellar that stays temp stable for weeks at a time with in a few deg. ) a fermentation chamber is a great way to improve your beers i think.

 

[BigFloyd]

With that said ..... go as large as you can so you have room to spare.. Im going to sell the one I just built as soon as i find a larger freezer.. I can fit three 6.5 buckets or carboys now, but want to fit four or more.

Are you making home brew for the whole battalion now, or what?

Has your brew gotten so good that it's become uber-popular and you can't keep pace with demand?:rockin:

 

[E_Marquez]

Are you making home brew for the whole battalion now, or what?

Has your brew gotten so good that it's become uber-popular and you can't keep pace with demand?:rockin:

That's actually a problem ????


I desire to make as many different beers as I can, each new recipe or recipe version is a chance to create.

I have 5 batches in bottles, three in buckets or carboys..... one going to keg in the morning and that leaves an open spot in the new fermentation chamber..
Midnight Brown Ale up next.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I am hoping to get advice on a fermentation chamber. I have done a handful of brews which turn out well and looking to move my skills and equipment up to the next level. I want to make a fermentation chamber but I am wondering how important it is. Right now my fermentation temps are 65-70 degrees. That will increase in the summer but was wondering if there would be a benefit or if I have time to shop around and be ready for next summer. If it will make a big difference I do want to do it sooner rather than later. Thank you for your help.

Beer yeast can be very sensitive to temperature changes, and different temps on the same yeast can yield different results. Even a one degree difference can affect some yeast's flavor profile. Fermentation control will offer two main benefits: 1) dialing in the exact temp you want the yeast to ferment at, and 2) being able to repeat and/or manipulate that fermentation temperature every time you brew. There are enough variables involved in trying to repeat the same beer and manipulate it without having variable fermentation temperatures. You can make GREAT beer with good temperatures, but you can make BETTER beer by controlling fermentation temps.

 

[brewmcq]

I built a small "ferment closet" in my basement brewery... so far i think it's been more than worth the cost of a few extra 2x4's and plywood.

I got an STC and basically built the same contraption in the video above (post #3), and to be honest, I love having the piece of mind that no matter the temperatures in my basement, that closet is keeping my beer exactly where I want it, +/- 1/2 a degree.

For a brief while, I did consider swamp coolers, but 1) there's no real pinpoint control on the beer temps; and 2) I knew that I would be moving to conical ferments, so swamp coolers were inappropriate for my situation.

Most importantly, there is a major "WOW!" factor when people "tour" my brewery. And when it comes down to it, bling is everything, right?

 

[Aerobrew]

Thank you to everyone for the information. I was hoping to be able to keep going on and get setup for a fermentation chamber by spring, but it seems like it is probably important to get that situated right away. So now to find extra space to put in a freezer. Thank you again for the advice.